Thirty Years
by Angelic Gemma
Summary: 30 years after Buffy’s death, someone pays a visit to her grave. PLEASE R & R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Title: Thirty Years Gemma Normal Gemma 1 1 2001-10-29T19:03:00Z 2001-10-29T19:04:00Z 4 844 4815 Home 40 9 5913 9.2720 

Title: Thirty Years

Summary: 30 years after Buffy's death, someone pays a visit to her grave.

Author: Angelic Gemma 

As evening approached he made his way through Sunnydale Cemetery with ease. He hadn't been there in a long time, probably too long, but he still remembered his way around. His pace slowed as he approached the grave, as if he were afraid of it.

Buffy Anne Summers

1981-2001

Beloved sister 

Devoted friend

She saved the world

A lot

He read the words out loud, it still didn't seem real.

"Hey Buff, long time no see." He placed the flowers he had brought against the gravestone. "I thought you'd like these." Of course there was no reply, there never would be, not from Buffy anyway. A tear rolled down his face. The pain had never faded, people had said it would, over time, but it hadn't. When he though about Buffy, the pain was as great as it was when she had first died. There had been so much pain in his life, sometimes he wondered why he bothered. All there was was pain. He sighed and lost himself in thought. He didn't know how long he was just stood there, but the sound of footsteps brought him out of it. Before he could turn around to see who it was a hand took his.

"Xander, you remembered." The newcomer stated with a smile.

"30 years to the day Willow, how could I forget?" Xander finally looked up from the gravestone and turned to Willow. At a glance it was clear the years had been good to her, but looking closer he could see a pain in her eyes which was as strong as it had been on the day of Buffy's death, and was probably mirrored in his own.

"I've missed you," she told him sadly.

"I've missed you too. We should have kept in touch, we said that we would." Xander replied sincerely.

"I think it was just too hard, we reminded each other of Buffy. It was why most of you left Sunnydale," said Willow. 

"Your probably right. So are you still in Sunnydale?" asked Xander.

"Yeah, well someone needs to keep the vampire population down," she said jokingly. Although it was the truth, if not for the hellmouth she would have left years ago. "I'm getting too old for it though, I'm not a teenager anymore, so me and Oz have begun training the kids."

"Kids? Oz?" Xander asked a little confused.

"Yeah. A couple of years after you and Anya left and Giles had…passed on, me and Tara broke up and then Oz came back. We eventually got married and had kids. Of course their not kids now, they're teenagers."

"Just like we were." Xander sighed. "I haven't seen you for a long time Willow, but I'd still like to think that were friends…"

"We are!"

"Good, and I want to tell you something. It was a big responsibility, we were just kids, are you sure you want to put your children through that?"

Willow looked pained. "Someone's got to do it."

Xander decided to change the subject. "So how come Oz didn't come with you?"

"He wanted to, but he's got the flu so I made him stay at home. So how come Anya isn't here?" When Xander didn't reply Willow realised that she had said something that she shouldn't have. "Xander, I…"

"She died, 6 months ago. Cancer." He lowered his head mournfully. He missed her so much, the pain was unbearable.

"Xander I'm so sorry." Willow hugged him.

With Xander's arm around Willow's waist the pair stood in silence for a while just watching the sun set. Xander realised that it was actually quite peaceful, it was the only bit of peace he had in a long time. Eventually the silence was disturbed by approaching footsteps. Willow and Xander turned around.

"Well isn't this cosy." The new arrival dropped his cigarette.

"Spike," Willow said looking him up and down,  "you haven't changed a bit," 

"Of course not, eternal youth an' all that," replied Spike. "Unlike you two I see." He didn't let on, but it saddened him to see that they had grown older, something he would never be able to do.

"The chip _is_ still working, right?" asked Xander.

Spike smiled. "That's for you to find out."

Willow laughed. "Just like old times,"

"Not quite," replied Xander. All three turned towards the gravestone.

"So what happened to you then?" Asked Willow, Spike had been the second to leave Sunnydale, (after Dawn had gone to live with her dad) the others had guessed it was because Sunnydale reminded him of Buffy too much.

"Travelled the world a bit, fighting evil and stuff," he replied.

Xander looked surprised. After Buffy's death he had expected Spike to go back to his old ways. That was followed by an awkward silence as no one knew what to say.

"It's strange you know, us all coming like this," Willow said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, but we're not all here though. What about Dawn?" Replied Xander.

"She never visits Buffy's grave," explained Willow. "Too painful. Last I heard she was travelling the world."

"She is, bumped into her a few years ago in Italy," said Spike.

"Really? How was she doing?" Asked Willow.

"She's doing good. She's a journalist now, travelling all over the world looking for her next story. She's loving it."

Willow and Xander both smiled. They both loved Dawn, they were glad that she was doing something with her life and enjoying it. It was what Buffy would have wanted.

The three stood in silence once more, submerged in their memories of Buffy. No one spoke for at least an hour. When they did the three talked about Buffy and the things that had gone on in their lives. They talked for hours and it was like they had never been apart. Eventually Spike and then Willow had to leave. 

"Do you have to Will? It's been such a long time, I feel like I'm losing you again."

"I need to check on Oz, but I'll keep in touch, I promise." With a goodbye and a hug Willow left him as she had found him, staring at the grave.

The End

Authors Note – Please review, I love to read them. If you enjoyed this story why not read my others!


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